North Korea fired one short-range missile into the East Sea on Monday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The projectile was fired at around 10:30 a.m. from a site in its northwestern province of Chagang bordering with China. It was presumed to have landed in the East Sea after flying some 220 kilometers, according to the JCS.

“It is the first time that Pyongyang fired a short-range projectile from the province, just 60 kilometers away from its border with China,” a JCS officer said, noting that North Korea is known to have an underground base for Scud missiles in the region.

While the military “is analyzing what type of missile the North launched and what lies behind its test-firing,” the officer said that it is presumed to be a Scud or a new type of tactical missile.

According to military sources, the five short-range projectiles that the communist country test-fired last month from its eastern border town of Wonsan were “novel tactical missiles,” which are different from its existing KN-02 missiles or 300-millimeter multiple rocket launcher.

Monday’s firing marked the 18th time that the bellicose neighbor has launched missiles or rockets this year, with the number projectiles fired totaling 108, according to JCS data.

The latest launch also came days after South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual joint military drill, named Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which North Korea claims is a dress rehearsal for an invasion. (Yonhap)